ACC 4195 Commerce Honours Dissertation

STAFFING:

SYNOPSIS:

Honours degrees serve to foster a research ethos and provide opportunities for motivated and highly qualified students to undertake advanced study and to produce substantial research dissertations. Students develop the appropriate research skills which allow them to undertake research oriented careers, Masters and/or Doctoral level studies. While the discipline-related courses allow students to gain a thorough understanding of the theoretical framework of particular discipline areas, this course will provide students with the opportunity to undertake independent critical research resulting in the production of a substantial research dissertation. By completing the required research methods course, and by working under the guidance of a supervisor during the course of this course, a student should successfully acquire the appropriate research skills which would allow him/her to undertake research oriented careers, Masters and/or Doctoral level studies.

OBJECTIVES:

On successful completion of this course students will be able to:

1. identify research topics,
2. undertake independent critical research activity using appropriate methods, statistical techniques and computer applications,
3. report and publish research outcomes.

TEXT and MATERIALS required to be PURCHASED or accessed:

ALL textbooks and materials are available for purchase from USQ BOOKSHOP (unless otherwise stated). Orders may be placed via secure internet, free fax 1800642453, phone 07 46312742 (within Australia), or mail. Overseas students should fax +61 7 46311743, or phone +61 7 46312742. For costs, further details, and internet ordering, use the 'Textbook Search' facility at http://bookshop.usq.edu.au click 'Semester', then enter your 'Course Code' (no spaces).

REFERENCE MATERIALS:

ASSESSMENT DETAILS:

NOTES:

1.

Examiner to advise relevant dates.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS:

1. To be assured of a passing grade in this course, students must attempt all of the assessments and achieve at least 50% of the available marks for the course. Final grades for the course will be determined by the addition of the marks obtained in each assessment item, weighted as in the Assessment Details.
2. The typed and bound dissertation must be approximately 15000 - 20000 words in length (including tables and figures but not including appendices).
3. The style guide used for the dissertation shall be: I) for dissertations within the Accounting major: (a) in the accounting in areas: as used for papers published in the 'Accounting Review'; (b) in the law area: as used for papers published in the 'Journal of Law and Economics'. ii) for dissertations within the Finance and Banking major: as used for papers published in 'The Journal of Finance'.
4. Three copies of the typed and bound dissertation shall be presented to the Research Administration Officer by the date indicated in the 'Assessment Details'. i) The cover shall contain: a) the title of the dissertation b) the name of the student ii) The fly page shall contain: 'The University of Southern Queensland Faculty of Business (the title of the thesis) Submitted as a requirement for the unit, Commerce Honours Dissertation (ACC4195), within the Bachelor of Commerce (Honours), Faculty of Business, University of Southern Queensland. by (Student's name) (student's signature) (the date) Supervisor: (name) (iii) The body of the dissertation shall contain: a) an abstract b) the table of contents c) the dissertation. iv) The spine of the typed and bound dissertation shall contain: a) the name of the student - INITIALS THEN SURNAME b) the tile (shortened version may be used, if necessary) c) the abbreviated title of the degree, BCom (Hons) d) the year of submission.
5. A dissertation supervisor will be assigned by the relevant Head of Department to each student in this course prior to the date indicated for item 2 of the 'Assessment Details'.
6. Commerce Honours Dissertation Committees will be appointed by the Dean for each Department. Each committee will consist of at least three appropriately qualified staff members from the discipline area, drawn from the staff within the Departments of Accounting, Finance and Banking, and Law. The committees may contain supervisors of dissertations.
7. The Commerce Honours Dissertation Committee for the relevant Department shall receive the Dissertation Proposal and grade the verbal presentations. The committee may approve the Dissertation Proposal and advise the student that he/she may proceed with the research and dissertation, or may refer the Dissertation Proposal back to the student (with appropriate commentary and feedback) for resubmission.
8. The Commerce Honours Dissertation Committees will appoint two examiners (the supervisor of the dissertation may be appointed as an examiner), who will grade the typed Dissertation.
9. In the case where the two examiners are in disagreement concerning the grade to be awarded for the course, the matter will be referred to a third examiner who will make a casting decision.
10. The verbal presentation of the Dissertation and defence of the results will be graded by the relevant Commerce Honours Dissertation Committee.
11. Student participation in research seminars will be assessed by the relevant Dissertation Committee.
12. Each student's dissertation supervisor will act as course leader for that student's dissertation, while the relevant Dissertation Committee will act as moderator.